


if not the fifth, then definitely the sixth.

by midnight_files



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: (:, Fluff, High School, Just two boys in love methinks, M/M, Pining, Volleyball, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:14:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26721220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnight_files/pseuds/midnight_files
Summary: the five times soobin almost holds beomgyu's hand and the one time he gets to.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu & Choi Soobin, Choi Beomgyu/Choi Soobin
Comments: 8
Kudos: 127





	if not the fifth, then definitely the sixth.

The first time happens at the school’s gymnasium where they first meet. Soobin is stretching off to the side, watching his teammates run laps, practice a series of serves and receives, and do all sorts of other warmups for their skirmish later today. He’s a few minutes late, but since it’s a home game, he doesn’t have to worry about being tardy.

Yeonjun, the team captain, disagrees and lightly scolds him to manage his time better. Soobin can only bow his head, embarrassed, with firm promises to not repeat his mistakes. He’s not someone who normally shows up late but his last professor had held him for ten minutes longer than usual which, in his humble opinion, should be against the law.

Regardless, Yeonjun’s not as strict as his sharp features let on, so he gives Soobin’s cheek a gentle tug and then sends him off. Midway into practice, the heavy doors leading into the gymnasium creak noisily, catching everyone’s attention. It’s too early for the skirmish, Soobin thinks to himself, the opposing team shouldn’t be here for another half an hour.

Standing at the main entrance is a boy with curly black hair settled messily atop his head and devastating round eyes that hold stars in them. His hands are tightly clutching the strap of his duffel bag and his gaze meets Soobin for a second, maybe two, before he tears it away to opt for the shiny waxed floors instead.

“BG!” Yeonjun shouts from across the gym, jogging over and rounding an arm around Soobin’s shoulders when he’s close enough so that he can drag the latter with him. Soobin’s about to whisper, saying that Yeonjun might startle the timid boy, when ‘BG’ cups his hands over his mouth and _yells._

“YJ!”

His voice is deep, yet velvety, and far from what Soobin had expected. Soobin had expected a meek, nasally voice on the brink of puberty, but Beomgyu seemed to have pedaled _way_ past that.

“How’s my little cousin doing?” Yeonjun asks, letting go of Soobin in favor of putting the stranger in a loose headlock.

“Ow, ow, hyung,” the kid whines, trying to free himself from the captain’s unrelenting grasp. Eventually, he manages to do so, but only because Yeonjun sheds mercy. “I’m fine, but..”

Doe eyes scan the vicinity of the gym, crawling up Soobin’s frame and meeting his gaze again in a manner that would’ve been discreet if Soobin hadn’t already been staring at him.

“It’s,” an awkward cough, “it’s really big. And intimidating. And the other players they’re.. big and intimidating.”

Soobin’s feels a little flattered when he gets gestured at as an example.

“They’re all harmless!” Yeonjun reassures and then shoves Soobin forward by clapping his hand on the taller boy’s back. The sound is so loud it echoes. “Especially Soobin.”

“Soobin, this is my baby cousin, Beomgyu,” Yeonjun introduces, jabbing a thumb in _Beomgyu’s_ direction. “He’s the one I told you was joining the team. I was hoping you could give him some pointers. I’d do it myself, but I’m busy enough as is.”

Soobin nods in acknowledgement. He’s about to ask for more clarity on his task when Yeonjun gets whisked away by another player, saying something along the lines of fixing the rotation.

“So,” Beomgyu interrupts, shyly tucking a strand of his long fringe behind his ear in a way that Soobin finds effortlessly endearing. “What’s your position?”

“I’m a spiker,” Soobin answers. His hand finds his neck quickly, rubbing it in a sheepish manner out of habit. “What about you?” He bites his tongue when he realizes just how _stupid_ a question that is considering Beomgyu had joined the team only a mere 2 minutes ago.

“Well,” Beomgyu starts before laughing softly, an indication that he’d caught Soobin’s slip up. “I’m hoping to be libero. I’m not as powerful with my attacks, but I’ve been told my defense is pretty deadly.”

Libero. Soobin can see it. Beomgyu looks.. tiny (in comparison to him) and agile.

“I’m not tiny,” Beomgyu says and Soobin parts his lips in shock. Had he really said that aloud? “I can just tell that’s what you’re thinking with the way you’re scrutinizing the top of my head.” Oh, _phew._

“I know I’m not a towering 6 feet—or taller..—like you, but,” Beomgyu says, slipping his bag off of his shoulder and straightening his posture which adds an inch or two. “I’m still tall.”

There’s a frown on his forehead and he’s glaring, but it’s lighthearted and matched with a pout. Soobin’s enamored beyond words.

“My bad,” Soobin apologizes with a chuckle, reaching his hand out for a handshake. “Truce?”

Beomgyu’s hand comes down, hovering over Soobin’s and Soobin darts in a breath, curious about whether Beomgyu is as warm as he looks.

At the last second, Beomgyu makes a peace sign, mimicking a scissoring motion and snickering. 

“Truce.”

* * *

The second time is when another freshmen player, whose name is Kai, accidentally sends Beomgyu tumbling down onto the ground.

It’s an accident, really. Kai had jumped to block the opponent’s spike (and succeeded), but slipped on the landing and Beomgyu had moved quickly to break his fall. Unfortunately, Kai was over a head taller and Beomgyu didn’t necessarily have the strength to make up for the lack of height.

They end up colliding and falling onto the ground, Kai sprawled over Beomgyu and Beomgyu flat on the ground, except his head which he managed to save from impact. Kai rolls off of him with a grunt, but Beomgyu sits there, coughing from the collision.

Naturally, they both remain knocked out on the floor as the other players crowd over them with worry. Yeonjun reaches his hand out for Kai to take and Soobin watches him and Taehyun help the young blocker to the infirmary.

“Are you okay?” Soobin asks, addled by the whole situation. He crouches a bit, searching Beomgyu’s features to see if he was in any pain, and then moving to inspect his body for any visible bruises or bumps.

Beomgyu looks up at him expectantly, infamous smirk plastered on his thin lips. “Never been better.”

Soobin’s heart skips a beat at the sight.

An unreadable expression crosses Beomgyu’s face as he lifts his hand and just when Soobin’s about to grab it and help him up, Beomgyu whisks it away and brushes it over his hair.

“Too slow,” Beomgyu teases, bouncing back onto his feet as if a 185cm tall klutz hadn’t just nailed him onto the ground.

Soobin silently watches him prance back onto the court.

* * *

The third time it’s a joke. A joke with meaning. Soobin wishes Beomgyu weren’t so.. well.. _dense._

The five of them—Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Kai, and Taehyun—decide to grab some ice cream together to celebrate their win. It’s the last time they’ll probably be able to get some without risking a cold since autumn’s breezes were getting harsher with each blow.

Beomgyu and Kai wander a few feet in front of the rest of them, loudly chanting their school’s motto. It isn’t until Yeonjun scolds them for disturbing the quiet neighborhood that the chaotic duo decide to substitute ‘demonic shouting’ for a fit of giggles.

Beomgyu encourages Kai and Kai encourages Beomgyu. Together, they can induce headaches so easily, it should be considered a superpower.

“Honestly,” Yeonjun sighs, a fond smile appearing on his face regardless of how exhausted he sounds. “How are you gonna deal with them when I’m in college, ‘Bin?”

“I’ll find a way,” Soobin replies. As he says that, his arm instinctively lunges out, fingers hooking into the collar of Kai’s shirt and yanking him back so that he doesn’t hit a bicyclist straight on.

“Have you thought of finding a co-captain?” Yeonjun asks. He’s still warily eyeing Beomgyu and Kai, hands twitching to reach out and grab them if they try anything stupid. Taehyun, thankfully, has his arm locked with Kai’s to keep the youngest at bay so the older two only have to worry about the brunette carelessly twirling around.

“I think Taehyun would do a good job,” Soobin admits, just as they come to a halt by the traffic light. “He has the sanity and assertiveness a leader needs.”

The pair watch as Taehyun shuts down each of Kai’s attempts to escape him without doing so much as flinching. “And strength,” Soobin finishes, bewildered at how such a _small_ body could hold _so_ _much_ power.

“That’s a good choice,” Yeonjun muses after some thought. The light turns green and the group take their first step together, almost in sync. Beomgyu’s the odd one out, taking two steps while the others take one.

Headlights blind them momentarily and Beomgyu has his _stupid_ airpods in so he doesn’t hear the screeching honk. Soobin has to tackle him away from what would’ve been a _very_ horrible situation and it’s times like this he’s thankful for the exercise sessions Yeonjun forces him to attend. He’s also thankful that Beomgyu weighs less than a feather or else they would have both been flattened strawberry pancakes on the road.

“Focus!” He heaves out with a frown etched onto his forehead. It’s the first time he’s yelled in front of the freshmen, he can tell by their shocked expressions, but he doesn’t have time to care about startling them. Underneath him, head caged between Soobin’s hands, is a flustered Beomgyu with his lower lip caught between his teeth.

Now that Soobin thinks about it, this is the closest they’ve been, except for the one time Beomgyu had rolled his way during a save and consequently knocked him, Yeonjun, and one other player down like a stack of bowling pins. (Needless to say, they lost that point, regardless of how smooth Beomgyu’s dive had been.)

“God,” Soobin groans, lifting himself up and dusting off his jeans. He’s about to offer Beomgyu a hand again, but the latter is quick to push himself up, as always. There’s a silence that rests heavily among them, the only thing heard being the faint screeches of train wheels on a rusty track and the soft hissing of the wind that cuts through the rustling leaves.

The light is red again, so none of them can move, which makes it all the more awkward. Thankfully, Kai is skilled in breaking tension. “Wow, what drama scene was that?” He howls, wiggling his eyebrows in a way that should make it legal for Soobin to murder him. Thankfully, Beomgyu doesn’t notice Kai’s relentless teasing and Taehyun quiets Kai down before he can do any more damage.

“You alright?” Yeonjun asks, the question being aimed for both the rattled boys. Beomgyu hums to appease him and Soobin nods, ignoring the bruise that was probably forming on his knee. He hears the eldest let out a relieved grumble and feels a hand tousle his lilac locks affectionately.

The buzzer dings, signaling that they can now cross the to the other side. The road is empty, unlike before, but Soobin’s urge to keep an eye on Beomgyu remains. “Need hyung to hold your hand?” He asks, playfully, trying to slice the thick air between them.

The question is said in a lighthearted tone—it’s meant to be a joke—but Soobin is still hopeful. He still puts his hand out, palm facing up, almost daring Beomgyu to take it. Yeonjun, Kai, and Taehyun have already walked past them, engrossed in a conversation about their next volleyball match.

“You’re funny,” Beomgyu’s sarcasm hits him extra harsh today. He knows Beomgyu’s words hold no actual bite and the crescents Beomgyu’s eyes form do well to convey that message, but something dull still aches in Soobin’s chest when he places his hand back into his pocket.

* * *

The fourth time occurs during halloween, about two or three months into Soobin’s helpless pining. This time he has a full proof plan. There’s no way Beomgyu would be able to evade this one.

When the five of them file into the line for the haunted house, they find out the capacity for each cart is three. (Soobin had already known, which is why he had positioned them in a certain formation without their knowledge.)

“You three go ahead,” he says, trying his best to sound nonchalant as he dismissively waves at Yeonjun, Taehyun, and Kai. He watches the worker escort them to the approaching cart and darts in a breath. So far, so good.

“Gyu,” he speaks up after a bit when he sees Beomgyu’s eyes glued to the ground. “Are you alright?”

“Scared,” Beomgyu laughs breathlessly. It’s out of nervousness rather than ease. Soobin knows he’s scared though, he’s planned this entire thing out, down to the nitty gritty specifics.

“If you two would follow me,” the worker says, guiding them towards the dark blue cart waiting for them.

Soobin boards first, sliding all the way to the edge so that Beomgyu has enough space to squeeze in and move around until he’s comfortable. Beomgyu ends up sitting almost on top of him, huddled so close Soobin can feel every breath he takes in; they’re all shaky.

“You can hold my hand if you’re scared,” Soobin says, leaving his palm out on his lap. Beomgyu doesn’t take it, too afraid to move his grip from the metal barricade keeping them in place.

A little later on, Soobin finds himself a bit spooked by the ride as well and he squeezes his eyes shut to avoid getting jumpscared. That makes him all the less prepared when Beomgyu’s lithe fingers curl into his arm, yanking him close. Beomgyu’s head fits into the shallow nook where Soobin’s neck meets the start of his shoulder.

His breath is hot, fanning over Soobin’s skin dangerously, and Soobin almost regrets getting on the ride because it takes everything in him not to turn his head and kiss Beomgyu senseless.

When they finally make it out of the house, the other boys are waiting there with expectant faces, saying something about a camera.

Soobin finds out that a photo of each cart was taken during the last notch of the house. Yeonjun looks funny, eyes half open, nostrils flared, and lips pursed in horror. Kai looks good; he always looks good. Taehyun doesn’t seem as phased, but Soobin can see his hands gripping tightly onto Yeonjun’s and Kai’s forearms.

Him and Beomgyu’s photo is a lot less chaotic. “Boring,” Kai jokingly calls it. Soobin is stiff, with his eyes closed, and Beomgyu is huddled into his side. In the lower half of the picture, Soobin’s palm is still pliant on his lap, waiting for Beomgyu’s, though it never comes. _However,_ Soobin thinks to himself as he looks at the way Beomgyu’s gripping onto him ever so tightly, _this is alright too._

* * *

The fifth time is almost Soobin’s breaking limit. 

“Do you wanna get hot chocolate with me?” Beomgyu asks him when they’re retrieving their bags from the locker room. Both their arms are red from receiving powerful serves and spikes, but nothing can match the hue that colors Soobin’s ears upon hearing the request.

“Yeah,” Soobin manages after a few seconds of contemplating over a ‘normal’ answer. Beomgyu flashes him a smile, towel still pressed against his forehead to collect sweat, and jersey hiked up a bit to let cool air slip in. Soobin tries not to stare too long. (He fails.)

“Why didn’t you try any jump serves today?” Beomgyu asks with a tilt to his head. Soobin shrugs, reaching down to tug his shirt up and off so that he can discard it in a plastic bag and pull out a spare from his locker.

“Was scared I’d mess up,” Soobin admits after a pregnant pause. The loose tee he fits onto his frame is cool against his burning skin. He grabs his cardigan and jacket, eyeing them for a second before draping both over his arm. It’s still too hot to bundle up; he’ll worry about doing so once they’re almost outside.

“You’re good though. Have more confidence,” Beomgyu reassures him. Soobin turns his head to meet the younger’s gaze, but Beomgyu immediately drops his and Soobin can tell from the shade of Beomgyu’s cheeks that he’d probably been looking for a lot _longer_ than he was letting on.

He’ll spare him from the teasing today though.

“Thanks,” Soobin grins, reaching out to pluck the dirty towel from Beomgyu’s forehead. He drops it into the plastic bag as well (because it was actually _his_ towel; he’d lent Beomgyu a spare). “Now hurry up. Stores close earlier today.”

It ends up being just the two of them on the eve of Christmas. Snowflakes catch in the fur of their jackets and the ground crunches with each step they take. There’s only about a foot of snow blanketing the sidewalk, but Soobin had been so late for class today, he slipped into sneakers instead of boots without thinking. So now he has to be _extra_ careful not to wet his socks.

Beomgyu is also underdressed for the weather, but it’s by choice. He doesn’t have anything fashionable for the winter, he tells Soobin. So his favorite leather jacket and ripped skinny jeans will have to do.

Choi Beomgyu would rather get sick than be seen wearing something _ugly._

Soobin rolls his eyes at the idiocy, but at the same time, he finds it cute. Sure, every sniffle Beomgyu emits has Soobin doubling over in worry and his hands scrambling to find the tissues in his bag, but then Beomgyu strikes a playful killer pose and Soobin is swooning like the teenage boy he is.

They’re waiting for the bus together when _it_ happens. Soobin watches from the corner of his eye as Beomgyu helplessly tries to prevent his fingers from going numb by tucking them into the waistband of his jeans. They’re red, borderline white, and lacking moisture which means the friction must be uncomfortable.

“Beom,” Soobin calls out to catch the boy’s attention. Beomgyu peeks up at him through his frizzy, gray fringe. (He dyed it a few weeks ago with Yeonjun who’s sporting an electric blue.)

“Give me your hands,” he orders with a small frown. Beomgyu raises an eyebrow, not listening, as expected. “I’ll warm them up for you,” Soobin tries, thankful that he can blame the redness of his cheeks on the wind. He positions his hands, silently asking for Beomgyu to place his in between.

“No thanks,” Beomgyu replies with the utmost nonchalance. Soobin’s embarrassed, really embarrassed, in being verbally rejected this time around. However, it only lasts a few seconds, because Beomgyu takes a stride forwards and suddenly his hands are intruding the confines of Soobin’s pockets.

The bus squeaks to a halt beside them, but it’s out of service. So they stand there, in close proximity, neither of them daring to say anything. Soobin’s hands are still hanging uselessly at his sides and Beomgyu is still utilizing the warmth of Soobin’s coat when the next bus comes around the corner.

“Here,” Soobin finally mumbles, handing Beomgyu his mittens. His own hands begin to grow paler due to the unrelenting crisp air of the evening, but he pays little to no attention to it. He can’t. Not when Beomgyu smiles at him, innocent and shy, and then dons his gloves which are definitely a size too big, but do the trick nonetheless.

“They look better on you.”

* * *

Soobin isn’t expecting much when he invites Beomgyu to watch a movie at his place. It was an impromptu plan. They were talking about childhood movies in their group chat and Beomgyu had mentioned never seeing the barbie version of Rapunzel so, of course, Soobin had privately messaged him to call him uncultured.

After a lot of playful bickering and 144p screenshots, Soobin had managed to convince Beomgyu to come over so that they could watch it together. Why does Soobin have a collection of Barbie movies? The world may never know.

“Did you run all the way here?” Soobin snorts after he opens the door to a panting Beomgyu who is hunched over and has his eyes squeezed shut so tight, it seems painful.

“Maybe,” Beomgyu says in between coughs and wheezes. “Unbelievable,” Soobin comments, letting Beomgyu in and fetching him a bottle of water from the fridge.

Beomgyu drinks it down in one shot and then suffers for a good ten minutes because Soobin’s mother is in the bathroom, showering. Soobin finds Beomgyu’s desperation hilarious, but then realizes that he’s desperate too, just for other reasons.

The cans of soda and the bowl of popcorn perched on the living room’s coffee table were placed there a good five minutes prior to Beomgyu’s arrival. Soobin had wasted no time in hastily cleaning the house to make it look livable while simultaneously preparing the snacks and setting up the TV. The CD is in the player and the remote is sitting neatly on one of the couch’s arms.

Beomgyu throws himself onto the cushioned surface, long legs nearly knocking the bowl of popcorn and sending kernels flying. Thankfully, Soobin quickly bends down and moves it away to prevent fatal damage.

“Just be a little more careful, is that too much to ask for?” Soobin questions and Beomgyu sticks his tongue out at him which Soobin finds aggravatingly cute.

When they’re finally ready, Soobin tugs a blanket over their legs and they end up snuggling up against one another like two connecting pieces of a puzzle. The radiator’s warmth, along with the woolen quilt, make the boys fall victim to drowsiness.

Right when Soobin’s about to ask Beomgyu if he wants to take a nap, he feels it. He feels Beomgyu’s hand brush over his and—since Beomgyu is half asleep—if Soobin wanted, he could hold his hand without Beomgyu having any recollection of the incident. But that’s creepy.

Amid his internal crisis, he feels something twitch against his slender fingers and then—despite not looking down to witness it happen—Soobin is sure that Beomgyu hooks their pinkies together. It’s so subtle he almost misses it, but Beomgyu’s always been shy and Soobin supposes his lack of sleep also adds onto the minimal effort.

Beomgyu’s finger is shorter than his, as expected, and thinner than his, as expected. Soobin readjusts their pinkies so that he’s the one engulfing Beomgyu’s and not vice versa. It’s an “I’m older” thing.

Soobin hears Beomgyu’s soft scoff louder than the dialogue coming from the screen. “That’s all you got?” Beomgyu eggs him on after noticing that Soobin had slightly changed the positioning of their pinkies.

Unhooking their pinkies (which causes Beomgyu to huff in protest), Soobin shifts until his upper torso is fully facing the pouty boy. They stare at each other silently before Soobin completely moves his hand away.

However, right when Beomgyu is about to throw a dramatic fit, Soobin grabs the smaller boy’s limp hand and yanks him in close, plush lips seeking Beomgyu’s rosy pair. It’s chaste, sloppy, and Soobin is sure he missed Beomgyu’s mouth and half-kissed his chin, but it works. It gets his point across.

Afterwards, they sit there with their foreheads pressed together, as any highschool lovebirds would, until finally, Soobin reaches in and loops his arms around Beomgyu’s waist. This time, when they slot their lips together, it’s more coordinated and they fall into a manageable sync.

Soobin feels one of Beomgyu’s hands curl over his shoulder and the other reaches down until it can slip behind and drape over Soobin’s, silently asking for what Soobin’s been craving. Soobin moves to intertwine their fingers, bringing them back around so that Beomgyu’s arm isn’t bent at an awkward angle, and then refocuses on the main task at hand: kissing the boy of his dreams.

Beomgyu’s mouth is slack against his, still in the aftermath of his sleepiness, and Soobin is the opposite, eager with months of concealed passion. He takes the guiding role, molding their lips together with care, so that he can convey to Beomgyu just how long he’s been wanting this. When they pull away, Beomgyu erupts into giggles and Soobin can only whisper his confessions, in awe at how beautiful his _boyfriend_ is.

After that, Beomgyu allows Soobin to hold his hand a lot more frequently.

**Author's Note:**

> wahhh i saw the clip of soobin reaching out for a handshake and beomgyu making a pair of scissors with his hands and.. this prompt came to mind. i spiraled HAHA. soogyu are so cute. ; ; 
> 
> cutest bestfriends <3
> 
> anyways i hope you guys enjoy this! it's my first soogyu fic so i'm a bit nervous.. and i feel like i rushed a bit at the end because i didn't know what to write after a biiiig writer's block hhh but yeah
> 
> hope you all enjoy! let me know what you think c:
> 
> i know volleyball is skimmed over in this fic but i actually enjoyed writing about it! i might make a drabble series based around txt as a volleyball team.. hmm..
> 
> i also have a [ twitter](https://twitter.com/kaifiIes) by the way! <3


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